Fillable Kettlebell

ABSTRACT

A fillable kettlebell is disclosed that can be used as an exercise device. When empty or “unfilled” the fillable kettlebell has a relatively small profile and is lightweight and thus very transportable particularly when compared to traditional kettlebells. Upon filling to the desired/user selectable weight, the fillable kettlebell provides superior functionality to conventional kettlebells as it will not rust and cause as much damage upon impact as traditional kettlebells. The fillable kettlebell can be made of a flexible material/fabric/webbing with a closable opening to accept and retain matter that has the desired weight for the specified volume. The fillable kettlebell can have attachment members that coupled a handle to the container. The handle allows a user to lift the kettlebell via a force exerted on the handle. After filling, a fastening member proximate to the closable opening can mechanically secure the fill port thereby securing the retained matter in the container. In some embodiment a bladder can be put in the container and a liquid can be used to supply the weight to the user.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments are generally related to exercise equipment. Embodiments arealso related to a kettlebell type weight apparatus. Embodiments areadditionally related to a small profile, fillable, portable weightadjustable kettlebell.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In recent years, there has been more emphasis placed on physical fitnessand rehabilitation and there are many different types of exercisedevices available for such purposes. One such type of exercise devicethat utilizes weight resistance is known as a kettlebell. Kettlebellshave traditionally been built using a mass of cast iron shaped much likea basketball with a suitcase-type handle attached to the top of thekettlebell 100 to allow a user to grasp the kettlebell during exercise.Kettlebells have been used for many years to exercise the entire bodyand provide strength training and physical therapy in addition to anaerobic workout. Many give up on their workouts when they travel becausethey do not have access to fitness equipment and bringing fitnessequipment on a trip is often not an option particularly when flying to adestination. In addition many feel that they won't have enough roomwhere they are staying to get an adequate workout.

It can be appreciated that there is a wide range of strength and skillfor users of kettlebells. Conventional kettlebells have a singleconfiguration and are typically of fixed weight and a user must choose asuitable kettlebell according to his/her physical ability. If theselected kettlebell is too light, the user has to find or buy a heavierone and vice versa. Thus, many kettlebells are useless to a typical userand users can grow out of a particular size of kettlebell andconventional fixed weight kettlebells are often unusable for many usersbecause of their size or weight. Furthermore, various kettlebells indifferent weights occupy a lot of space and increase cost for kettlebellmanufacturer's sellers and clubs. There is need for improvements in ahandle supported kettlebell structures that allow for a multitude ofweights and provide better portability.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The following summary is provided to facilitate an understanding of someof the innovative features unique to the disclosed embodiments and isnot intended to be a full description. A full appreciation of thevarious aspects of the embodiments disclosed herein can be gained bytaking the entire specification, claims, drawings, and abstract as awhole.

The present invention relates to a novel kettlebell arrangementsembodied as a non-rigid fillable “container” made from a robust fabricmaterial with a closable mouth or orifice, allowing for the filing ofthe container, and a handle an attached proximate to the mouth such thata user can easily grasp the kettle bell and exercise with it. Thedisclosed kettlebell can be viewed as a new type of kettlebell withimproved functionality and features when compared to existing kettlebelldesigns.

It is, therefore, one aspect of the disclosed embodiments to provide foran improved kettlebell that can be folded up into a small package suchthat when packed tor travel the kettlebell only takes up a minimum ofspace in one's suitcase.

It is another aspect of the disclosed embodiments to provide for animproved kettlebell thin can accept and use many different types ofmaterials to provide a wide range of weight for a single kettlebell.

It is further aspect of the disclosed embodiments to provide for animproved kettlebell that is less damaging, more malleable or softer thanconventional kettlebells, thereby reducing the propensity to injureanyone or anything coming into contact with the kettlebell. Theaforementioned aspects and other objectives and advantages can now beachieved as described herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying figures, in which like reference numerals refer toidentical or functionally-similar elements throughout the separate viewsand which are incorporated in and form a part of the specification,further illustrate the present invention and, together with the detaileddescription of the invention, serve to explain the principles of thepresent invention.

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of a kettlebell in accordance with thepresent disclosure:

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The embodiments now will be described more fully hereinafter withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which illustrativeembodiments of the invention are shown. The embodiments disclosed hereincan be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed aslimited to the embodiments set forth herein: rather, these embodimentsare provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, andwill fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in theart. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. As used herein, theterm “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of theassociated listed items.

The terminology used herein for the purpose of describing particularembodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. Asused herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended toinclude the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises”and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify thepresence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements,and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of oneor more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements,components, and/or groups thereof.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientificterms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by oneof ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will befurther understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly useddictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that isconsistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art andwill not be interpreted to an idealized or overly formal sense unlessexpressly so defined herein.

Kettlebells are a well-known traditional weighted exercise devicecommonly used in gyms or anywhere people like to exercise. Kettlebellsas an exercise device have been largely unchanged over many years.Kettlebells are generally comprised of a weighted body with a singleloop type handle which a user grips typically with one hand to lift andraise the kettlebell as a user carries out a number of exercises.Kettlebells are distinct from other types of exercise devices, forexample dumbbells and barbells, in that they comprise a single weightcoupled to a loop type handle. The body of a traditional kettlebell isgenerally spherical and kettlebells come in a variety of sizes andweights to accommodate all levels of users.

Conventional kettlebells are manufactured from cast iron where the bodyand handle kettlebell are typically integrated as one piece, varying insize and weight. Most new kettlebells are partially or fully covered in,for example a rubber or polyurethane to provide a more attractiveappearance, provide rust protection and provide impact protection askettlebells are often dropped on concrete or wood floors eitheraccidently or on purpose. Most Kettlebell manufacturers boast abouttheir one piece structure as providing sufficient strength androbustness to withstand all use and abuse that the kettlebell would besubjected to. In particular, kettlebells are subject to multiple impactsand jarring as they are dropped onto the floor and swung around by auser. Moreover, due to the weight of the kettlebells and typicalswinging movements of the kettlebell carried out during exercise, it ishighly undesirable for a kettlebell to fail, for example if the bodyportion of the kettlebell becomes detached from the handle injury anddisaster can result.

While such traditional kettlebells have been widely used for years, itis well known that problems have been identified with all past andcurrent designs, particularly with such cast conventional kettlebells.For example, the finish of cast iron can be poor and can rust whichdetracts from the appearance of the kettlebells and cast iron isparticularly undesirable as it nearly always has a rough cast surfaceparticularly on the handle which is not ideal for gripping by a user.Furthermore, due to the loop shape of the handle, machining of the castloop handle to improve its surface is not inexpensive or practical.Providing a covering over the outer surface of the cast kettlebells canimprove the appearance and surface quality but such coverings are costlyand typically degrade rapidly in a short period of time causing newerkettlebells to be unsightly at a relatively young age. Further, thesecast iron kettlebells are heavy and bulky which prevents one from takinga kettlebell with them while traveling. Such a limitation isparticularly important for individuals in the armed services orindividuals such as those in public service that are assigned to (ormust work from) locations away from home for extended periods of time.

To overcome these imperfections in the art of exercise equipment, afillable/portable kettlebell is disclosed that can be used as anexercise device. When empty or “unfilled” the fillable kettlebell can befolded or rolled up and put in a small pouch or carrying case such thatthe kettlebell is small and lightweight. This makes the fillablekettlebell the (hereafter “Kettlebell”) very transportable, particularlywhen compared to traditional kettlebells. Upon filling the kettlebell tothe desired weight, the disclosed kettlebell provides superior featuresand functionality as compared to conventional kettlebells.

For example, the disclosed kettlebell will not rust and will not causeas much damage when it impacts people or property as would a traditionalkettlebell. The disclosed kettlebell can include a containerconfiguration made of a robust flexible material/fabric/webbing with aclosable opening to accept and retain matter that has the desired weightfor the specified volume. The container can have attachment members thatcoupled a handle to the container. The handle allows a user to lift ormove the disclosed kettlebell via a force exerted on the handle.

After filling the container portion of the kettlebell, a fasteningmember proximate to the closable opening can mechanically secure themouth or fill port thereby securing the retained matter in the containeruntil a user desires to empty the contents from the container. In someembodiments a bladder can be placed in or manufactured in the containerand a liquid can be added to the bladder via a valve to provide thedesired weight of the kettlebell. The kettlebell can be manufactured inany number of sizes depending on the weight range desired by the user.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a fillable kettlebell or kettlebell 100 isillustrated, which includes a pocket or container 102, for holdingcontents with a handle 104 attached thereto. The container 102 can beconnected to the handle 104 by one or more connecting members 106. Theconnecting members 106 can be made of nylon webbing that forms a strapwhich can measure an inch and a half (1.5″) in width and ⅛ inch inthickness. In some embodiments, two continuous connecting members 106can be sewn from the handle 104 around the circumference of kettlebell100 or across front panel 108, a bottom 114 returning via back panel 110(not visible) to the handle 104.

Each of a first and second side panel 112 can be sewn to both the frontand back panel 108 and 110 respectively to form container 102. Eachpanel (108-112) can be attached to one another with double sewn seamsuch as shown by seam 122. The container 102 can have an opening 120proximate to the handle 104 with a sleeve 118 coupled proximate toopening 120. The sleeve 118 can be attached at one end, such that sleeve118 can be pushed into opening 120, or pulled out of opening or extendedfrom the opening 120 as shown. Pulling the sleeve 118 out of the openingcan make it easier to fill or empty the contents of container 102 and tosecure the contents in the container 102 after filling is complete.

The sleeve 118 can have a mouth 116 at one end with a closure mechanism124. Closure mechanism 124 can operate like the closure mechanisms usedon dry bags where the inside surface of mouth 116 can reinforces and canbe pressed together and rolled using multiple rotations and thereafter aclosure mechanism 124 can be cinched, clasped clipped or engaged to keepthe contents from leaking out of container 102 or kettlebell 100. Thus,sleeve 118 (shown extended in phantom) can form a throat that can bepulled out of the opening 120 to form a fill funnel and pushed in theopening 120 to form a closure structure of container 102. The opening ofthe sleeve 118 opposite the month 116 can be fastened to the top edgesof the front, rear and side panels 108-112 or the edges of the panels108-112 that are proximate to the handle 104 via a mechanicalconnection. For example, attachment of the sleeve 118 to the container102 can be done by a sewing procedure.

In some embodiments handle 104 can be tubular in shape to encompass thecoupling members 106 and can be molded from a flexible material such asa thermoplastic rubber. Handle 104 can have stress relief gaps moldedtherein to improve flexibility and grip-ability and provide an idealhandhold for the user during exercise activities. In some embodimentsthe handle 104 can have the connecting members 106 extending through thehandle 104 for strength, durability, comfort and to increase the rangeor movement allowed during exercise. In some embodiments handle 104 canbe textured or ribbed to give the handle 104 improved shape andflexibility such that the handle 104 fits to the ergonomic or naturalshape of each user's grip.

In some embodiments connecting members 106 can be embodied as a 1.5″wide synthetic webbing or strap. Connecting members 106 can also be madefrom polypropylene material which has the desired strength andflexibility, in addition to providing resistance against rot and decaywhen compared to webbing or a strap comprised of organic materials suchas cotton and leather. In some embodiments, connecting members 108 canmeasure approximately four inches from the edge of the handle 104 to thestitch-point on the front and back panels, 108 and 110 respectively. Theinventors have determined that stitching connecting members 106 adistance of ¼ inch from the top edge of the front and back panels 108and 110 will provide increased strength as stitching near the edge offabric can reduce the burst strength of the container 102. The disclosedarrangement provides a distance between handle 104 and the container 102to allow for sufficient space and flexibility during exercise withoutsacrificing control such as rotational control of the kettlebell 100while under load during exercise.

Front panel 108 and side panels 112 can be attached using an“over-stitch” at seam 122. The front, rear and side panels 108-112 canbe made of ballistic nylon or a material with an equivalent tensile,tear, and abrasion characteristics. Front and back panels 108 and 110can be attached directly to connecting members 104 on each side of thehandle 104 and in some embodiments front and rear panel 108 and 110 canbe a single continuous piece of webbing wrapping from one side ofkettlebell 100 to the opposing side of the kettlebell 100 via the frontbottom and rear panel of kettlebell 100. A typical container 102 cancontain or hold in excess of 60 pounds of “fluid” content and thuseliminating unnecessary seams or minimizing the amount of seams candecrease manufacturing costs and can increase the strength, durabilityand life expectancy of container 102.

Seams 122 can join front panel 108 and back panel 110 to the side panels112 using an “over-stitch” which is a very robust attachment method. Anoverstitch is where two pieces of fabric are stitched together once thenfolded over and stitched again to improve the overall bursting strengthof container 102 and provides improved resistance to tearing orseparation due to extreme tensile forces. Without the proper materialsand proper stitching procedures, seams 122 can be the area of thecontainer 102 where the tensile capacity is the weakest. To increaseoverall strength of the container 102, the bottom 114 of container 102may be seamless as the connecting members 106 can assist in reinforcingthe entire circumference of container 102.

In some embodiments container 102 can be made from a single piece offabric by placing pleats or “gathering” the fabric used to form a bagsimilar to a bag for carrying a larger ball. In some embodiments seams122 can be stitched with a bonded nylon thread with sufficient tensilestrength to resist tearing or an equivalent material for increasedstrength and not resistance. Bonded nylon thread can be made ofcontinuous filament nylon threads as such thread cuts cleanly with noply separation thereby increasing the overall strength and durability ofcontainer 102.

As stated above, in some embodiments, mouth 116 can be designed as aroll-top type closure design, where the two sides of the mouth 116 canhave a reinforced edge possible reinforced with a semi-rigid plasticmember that can be pressed together edge-to-edge and the rolled two ormore times, and configured such that it will not unroll by a securingmechanism. The securing mechanism can be a plastic buckle with siderelease buttons. The buckle can have rib-reinforced side-release buttonsto increase the buckle's fastening integrity.

A desired closure design allows for different quantities or matter ormaterials to be placed in container 102 and can allow for variabledisplacement in the container 102 and can act as an expansion systemthat allows the “fluid” contents (water, sand gravel dirt etc.) to flow,move, expand or contract when the kettlebell 100 impacts something whenit is dropped or impacts a solid immovable surface. Thus mouth 116 andthe retaining mechanism can flex or expand to help absorb the impact andplastically deform to dissipate the force created by the impact. Similarto a dry-bag type closure system, closure mechanism 124 is capable ofpreventing matter in the container 102 such as sand from leaking out ofthe closure mechanism 124 when the kettlebell 100 is subjected to allangles, such as being turned up-side down or when impact occurs at anyangle.

In embodiments, that use a buckle to retain the closure mechanism 124, aside-release buckle that is rib-reinforced, can be utilized to provide arib type support along the inside center of the buckle in order toprovide a greater resistance to breakage when the kettlebell issubjected to intense forces or different impact positions. A siderelease buckle can be paired with a roll-top dry-bag type closure tocreate a robust seal for the container 102.

Where front panel 108, back panel 110 and side panels 112 meet at thetop of the container 102 the diameter of the container 102 or kettlebell100 can be narrower by an inch forming a neck in order to minimize sagalong the top edges of the container 102 and make it easier for thekettlebell 100 to be swung, for example between one's legs duringexercise. Such a shape can also contribute to the aesthetic and artisticlook or shape of kettlebell 100. Thus the kettlebell 100 can be taperedat the top and bottom and thus wider in the middle like a ball for moreefficient and free motions during exercise.

The container 102 can enclose a waterproof bladder that can be filledwith a liquid. The bladder can have an orifice 124 that allows thebladder to be filled with the hernia and can also be used to empty thebladder. The bladder can have a valve proximate to the orifice to capoff the orifice during use or storage. The valve can also include acheek valve similar to the cheek valves used in inflatable devices suchas inflatable rafts, toys, air mattress, or balls used in sports such asa basketball, beach ball volleyball, soccer ball, football etc.

Workouts using a Kettlebell can work all major muscle groups, have manyapplications and are extremely versatile when compared to dumbbells,load bars and machines. Every muscle in the body can be put to workusing Kettlebell. Kettlebell workouts can focus around three basic bodymovements, push, pull and twist. Resistance to pulling can be achievedwhen performing, but not limited to, a row, a font squat, a back squatand a trout swing. Resistance via pushing can be achieved whenperforming exercises such as but not limited to a high pull, squats,lunge press, military press and Kettlebell pushup. Resistance to atwisting motion can be achieved when performing Kettlebell figure 8 anda Russian twist. Many workouts will include more than one, or all ofthese basic exercise movements using Kettlebell.

What is claimed is:
 1. A kettlebell exercise device comprising: acontainer made of robust flexible material with a closable opening toaccept and retain matter that has a weight; at least one attachmentmember coupled to the container; a handle coupled to the at least oneattachment member which allows a user to lift the kettlebell via a forceexerted on the handle; a closure mechanism proximate to the closableopening to mechanically secure closure of the opening thereby securingthe retained matter in the container.
 2. The kettlebell of claim 1wherein the closeable opening is proximate to the handle.
 3. Thekettlebell of claim 1 further comprising a sleeve coupled to thekettlebell.
 4. The kettlebell of claim 1 wherein the robust flexiblematerial is ballistic nylon.
 5. The kettlebell of claim 1 wherein the atleast one attachment member is nylon webbing.
 6. The kettlebell of claim1 wherein the handle is a made from a molded polymer.
 7. The kettlebellof claim 1 wherein the at least one attachment member extends fourinches from the handle to the container.
 8. The kettlebell of claim 1further comprising a bladder to be inserted into the container to retaina liquid.
 9. The kettlebell of claim 8 wherein the bladder has a valveto allow for the filling and retention of the liquid.
 10. The kettlebellof claim 1 wherein the valve is a check valve.
 11. The kettlebell ofclaim 1 wherein the closure mechanism comprises a buckle.
 12. Thekettlebell of claim 1 wherein the closure mechanism comprises a dry bagtype closure assemble.
 13. The kettlebell of claim 1 further comprisingseams where the seams are overstitched
 14. The kettlebell of claim 1wherein the handle is greater than three inches and less than 5 inchesfrom the opening.
 15. The kettlebell of claim 1 wherein the at least oneattachment member comprises four suspended straps made from nylonwebbing.
 16. The kettlebell of claim 15 wherein the four suspendedstraps are encircled by the handle.
 17. The kettlebell of claim 1wherein the container has a volume greater than one cubic foot.
 18. Thekettlebell of claim 1 wherein the securing mechanism can expand toaccommodate a shift in contents of the container and accommodate such ashift without allowing the contents to exit the container.
 19. Thekettlebell of claim 1 wherein the kettlebell can be folded up into apackage measuring two inches by two inches by six inches.
 20. Thekettlebell of claim 1 wherein the at least one attachment members for a“V” shape.